Dance your way to health

The brain is no different than rest of the muscles in your body you either use it or you lose it. You utilize the gym to stimulate the growth of muscle cells, just as you use a brain fitness program to increase connections in your brain. But you can get more of a brain boost by donning your gym shoes and hitting the gym. The benefits of physical exercise, especially aerobic exercise, has positive effects on your brain function on multiple fronts, ranging from the molecular to behavioural level.

Physical exercise does not need to begin with going to the gym for physical training, but can begin at home with a  simple increase in physical activity this is just the key to keep the brain at its peak, so that it perceives accurately, and remembers well.

It has been shown that running can promote brain cell survival in animals with neurodegenerative disease. Previous work had indicated that running can boost brain cell growth in normal mice. In a new study, however, it was found that mice with a condition similar to the disorder ataxia-telangiectasia, which in humans leads to a loss of motor control that typically leaves patients wheelchair bound. Mice that ran were found to exhibit higher levels of cell survival than did their non-running counterparts. In sedentary mice it appears that most newly born brain cells die. Running appears to rescue many of these cells that would otherwise die. This study suggests that staying active may help delay progression of neurodegenerative conditions.

Exercise affects the brain on multiple fronts. It increases heart rate, which pumps more oxygen to the brain. It also aids the bodily release of a plethora of hormones, all of which participate in aiding and providing a nourishing environment for the growth of brain cells.

Movement, rhythms, physical activity, and exercise help control many conditions such as ADD, Dyslexia, Learned Helplessness, Hyperactivity, Delayed Sleep Disorder, Oppositional Disorder, Learning Delays, Reactive Attachment Disorder, Brain Injury and Conduct Disorder.

Abnormal glucose tolerance can lead to brain impairments, and exercise helps regulate blood sugar levels. In children, exercise has been shown to improve cognitive function, and improve motor skill development. In adults, especially as we age, regular physical activity increases memory and slows the aging process of the brain. Studies show that very active people who engage in regular physical activity have much lower rates of memory loss, dementia, Alzheimer and do better on cognitive function tests.

When one does little to no exercise, areas of the brain that are stimulated by exercise and help us feel good are not as active, and this can contribute to depression. 

Exercise can also have effects on the brain similar to antidepressants, stimulating the connection of new neurons. These strong neural networks keep our minds healthy, enabling quicker recall and better memory performance. Being active helps us have a better quality of life. Active people are healthier inside and out, and when our processes are working optimally we are supporting our sustained livelihood and well-being.

Glutamate, the most common neurotransmitter in the brain, is also the major excitatory neurotransmitter involved in many aspects of brain function including learning and memory. Animal studies have shown that treadmill running significantly increases glutamate levels during and for a short while after exercise.

Interestingly, differences between exercise styles, such as opting for cycling over running, is associated with an enhanced brain function during and after working out. Ballroom dancing, an activity with both physical and mental demands has had a higher impact on cognitive functioning over exercise or mental tasks alone, indicating that the best brain health workouts involve those that integrate different parts of the brain such as co-ordination, rhythm, and strategy.

Blood travelling to the body’s brain at greater rates feeds the brain the needed nutrients of oxygen and glucose. Glucose is to the brain what gasoline is to a car, brain fuel. Each time you think, you use up a little glucose. Brain activity is measured by glucose utilization.

A Human exchanges about 10% of their oxygen with each normal breath, meaning that about 90% of the oxygen in our brain is stale until we deep breathe or exercise. A lack of oxygen to the brain results in disorientation, confusion, fatigue, sluggishness, concentration, and memory problems.

Researchers also are finding biological evidence that exercise can help the brain on other fronts. For example, animal studies are determining that exercise prevents the negative effects of chronic stress on the brain at the molecular level and boosts the brain's biological battle against infection.

Exercise reduces feelings of frustration: A good way to get rid of stressful thoughts is to go for a walk or jog. Performing physical activity forces the brain to concentrate on your body and its surroundings, giving the mind a break from focusing solely on frustrations. Exercise may boost a depressed person's outlook by helping him return to meaningful activity and providing a sense of accomplishment. Exercise is physical activity that gets the heart rate into the target heart rate zone. Exercise can reduce your risk of heart disease and stroke. Exercise helps our muscles use the bad fats that clog our heart. Exercise can also help to prevent high blood pressure from developing in the first place.

Meditaion is not Magic

Meditation is not magic, neither is it a religion. It will not allow you to break the laws of physics and levitate or visit astral realms. Meditation is simply a process of focused objective attention, a mental exercise, nothing more. While it is often lumped together with mysticism or appropriated by New Age believers alongside their chakras, crystals, and auras, meditation is a straight forward, secular practice that can improve your health and quality of life. Among the potential benefits of meditation are relief from stress, anxiety, and depression, lowered blood pressure, reduction in cholesterol levels, effective pain management, improved sleeping patterns, increased energy, and enhanced creativity and intuition.

Meditation can be easy to practise.  It can take only a minute of your time or as long as you like.  It can be done standing at a bus-stop or while preparing a meal.  Meditation means focusing and being in the present, not in the past or future, and all it takes is some deep breathing, momentary relaxation, and focusing of the mind.  With practise, it gets easier, and after a while, becomes an integral part of your life.  Then you are on the way to improved health, well-being and an enhanced quality of life.

Far from being a fringe pastime, meditation is being used by a large cross section of society. The United States Marines have introduced a program called    Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training    (or "M-Fit"), which trains soldiers in mindfulness and meditation in order to improve mental performance and emotional health during combat situations.

"Mindful Leadership" is an initiative at General Mills that mixes sitting meditation, yoga and mindfulness practices to settle and focus the mind. Google, Target and Aetna all have similar programs. Surprisingly, Aetna discovered that an hour a week of this type of practice decreased stress levels in employees by a third, slashing healthcare costs per employee by around $2,000 per year.

Meditation teaches people with anxiety how to handle distressing thoughts and emotions. Most people either push away unpleasant thoughts or obsess over them both of which give anxiety more power. The goal of meditation is not to get rid of thoughts or emotions. The goal is to become more aware of your thoughts and emotions and learn how to move through them without getting stuck.

A growing number of doctors believe that meditation can help to alleviate many physical, mental and emotional disorders.  Meditation is being recommended alongside exercise and a healthy diet as a way of contributing to the prevention and treatment of many health problems, particularly those brought about by stress. Stress is a major contributing factor in digestive disorders and problems relating to the heart, blood pressure, circulatory and respiratory systems, in fact just about every part of the body.

It is also very effective for panic attacks. Therefore learning to manage panic attacks using meditation would be both a mental and physical advantage to anyone going through regular attacks.

It is a means of taking a short therapeutic break away from the daily rush and from which we return feeling refreshed, energised, calm and re-acquainted with our self.  We also return with a fresh perspective on life and our challenges and problems.  Somehow they all seem less problematical or demanding, because during meditation, our mind ceases its chatter and allows us to find our true essence and true nature.  During meditation, our true self takes over, puts things into perspective and guides us towards a different perception of life.  Sometimes our challenges disappear when we perceive them differently.

So, if you're struggling with concentration and focus, it's thought that meditation is one simple way to train yourself to get better at it. All it really takes is the ability to intentionally not think about anything for a little while. 

If you find it difficult to focus and thoughts keep coming, do not worry.  Meditation is a practice, not a prescription.  It takes time to quiet the mind and success is not achieved so easily. There is no quick fix for stress relief.  Just, relax, breathe and stick with it.

Although practised in all the world's major religions, but it is neither a religion nor a mysterious practice.  Meditation is a very down-to-earth practice, bringing about a profound state of relaxation, inner harmony and increased awareness.

A growing number of doctors believe that meditation, along with its good breathing and relaxation techniques, can help to alleviate many physical, mental and emotional disorders.  Meditation is being recommended alongside exercise and a healthy diet as a way of contributing to the prevention and treatment of many health problems, particularly those brought about by stress. Stress is a major contributing factor in digestive disorders and problems relating to the heart, blood pressure, circulatory and respiratory systems, in fact just about every part of the body, and stress is on the increase nowadays

Detoxify the Mind

Despite the limited control we have over it, the mind can be a powerful factor of your personality and actions and it benefits us to look after it, the same as it benefits us to look after our body.

Just as the body benefits from   detoxifying   so does the mind. The best way to detoxify the mind is through meditation.

If the body and mind are healthy and strong, life becomes not only easy but pleasurable

The trouble is, most of us make choices semi consciously at best. We don't even attempt to control our attention, perhaps because we don't know how. Buddhists maintain that the capacity can be refined through a consistent practice of meditation: The mind is by nature unstable, inherently distractible, and meditation is a means of stabilizing it.

Often called the placebo-affect, there is a large body of research that has demonstrated the suggestive power of the mind is able to alleviate pain and cure various ailments. In 1955, scientist H.K. Beecher published a paper titled “The Powerful Placebo,” in which he demonstrated that in the 26 studies he conducted, an average of 32% of the trial patients responded to a placebo. Ten years later, it was shown that placebos could speed up the pulse rate, increase blood pressure, and improve reaction speeds of participants who were told their sugar pill was actually a stimulant. Likewise, the opposite physiological effect was observed when patients were told they were receiving a drug to induce sleep.

The Mind Is

The mind in a way is a man-made concept and is thought to categorize and contemplate the manifestations of certain physical and chemical actions that occur chiefly in the brain. It is a product of anatomic development and physiologic functioning. What we call the mind is an activity, made up of innumerable constituent activities, of which it is composed, brought to awareness by the brain. The brain is the chief organ of the mind, but not its only one. In a sense, every cell and molecule in the body is a part of the mind, and every organ contributes to it. The living body and mind are one.

The mind is such an incredibly powerful entity that it even possesses the capability to overcome physical problems and has the ability to achieve that which we would not normally consider possible. Many people over time have actually won physical competitions whilst still recovering from physical illness or injury.

It is a very complex concept and cannot be dismissed as a mere chemical reaction in the brain.  It is extremely unlimited and expansive in its possibilities. 

Even if the brain is not considered the mind, it is true that how well the brain functions will often dictate how the mind operates. If one has good brain functions then positive thoughts will always be produced in the mind, production of positive thoughts is the essence of any success an individual may achieve in their lives. However, some believe that as powerful as the mind is, humans for the most part greatly under use it.

The mind is also capable of striving for perfection. It will not rest till the goal that it has set for itself is reached. It will strive to complete its tasks, even when the body is at rest, the mind will remain active, until it has reached a conclusive outcome.

It is capable of orienting and adapting its self and is a good judge of the results of its own actions and has the ability to correct its self. This self-correcting aptitude allows a person to orient and adapt themselves to different situations depending on the situation and

it is always questioning and looking to find out the root cause and probable outcome of any given scenario.

 Because it is essentially exploratory and always questioning, it will not rest until the answer has been found.

The mind is also capable of being trained. If the learning is presented in an ordered form, logically and appropriately, the mind is capable of absorbing just like a sponge. From something as straight forward as a tangible skill like knitting to something that is more sophisticated as absorbing cultural nuances, social graces and morality,

It is capable of abstract thinking and has the capability of extreme esoteric and intangible thinking. Spirituality, metaphysics and occult are all areas that the mind has explored. This is because it is capable of forming connections between different pieces of thought, looking at parallels and patterns and coming up with hypothesis.

Toning up your mind is just as important as toning up the body. If you run negative images through your mind then you shape both your body and your brain for a negative response.

The power of the mind is real. In fact, a new branch of medicine known as biofeedback has emerged to take advantage of this power. Simply put, biofeedback uses the mind to control the body. Many responses in the body are considered involuntary—however, with proper training an individual can be trained to control responses such as heart rate, blood pressure, pain response, brain activity, muscle tension, anxiety, etc. Patients are given monitoring devices that allow them to recognize and control responses that are normally considered out of human control.

How the brain functions

The brain is the control centre of the body. Think of a telephone operator who answers incoming calls and directs them to where they need to go. Similarly, your brain acts as an operator by sending messages from all over the body to their proper destination.

A human brain accounts for about 2% of the body's weight, but it uses about 20% of its energy.

The brain is made up of distinct parts that developed through human evolution. The oldest evolutionary parts, which are responsible for life-supporting functions such as breathing, blood circulation and sleeping, are found at the base of the brain, joined to the spinal cord. This area is called the "brain stem" and includes the midbrain, pons and medulla oblongata. The more recently developed areas - the cerebellum and the cerebrum - surround the brain stem.

It is a complex communications network consisting of billions of neurons, or nerve cells.

Networks of neurons pass messages back and forth within the brain, the spinal column, and the peripheral nervous system.

These nerve networks control everything we feel, think, and do.

It is the command centre of your body. It controls just about everything you do, even when you are sleeping.

The brain is divided into two hemispheres, with each side specializing in different operations. Brain scans show that while young people often use only one side for a specific task, middle-aged and older adults are more likely to activate both hemispheres at once-a pattern known as bilateralization. By involving both sides, older people bring the full spectrum of the brain's power to bear, allowing them to make more fruitful connections among the disparate parts of a problem or situation.

The brain is a muscle, and as all muscles, it needs regular exercise to keep sharp

The brain is the organ of behaviour. It is also the organ of our minds. Both overt behaviour and consciousness are manifestations of the work of our brains. Other people can see an individual's overt behaviours, whereas consciousness is apparent only in our individual minds. The field of neuroscience studies how people control their behaviours, thoughts, and feelings, and how these actions sometimes get out of control.

Atheists

Atheists shouldn't have trouble understanding the word, “spiritual” (this is always open to interpretation of course). I believe that the spirit is a fundamental part of the working brain. We all have that feeling of vulnerability when alone. Humans are pack animals, and generally our instincts tell us it is safer to be in groups than to be solitary.
This basic need filters through into the "deeper" need of a God or Holy Spirit, which allows the luxury of never being alone.

I believe Atheists understand that this need cannot be fulfilled, but the fact of understanding this fear in its self allows them to conquer their fear or at least control it.

A Soul In A Body

A SOUL WITH A BODY OR A BODY WITH A SOUL.

Are you a body with a soul or a soul with a body?   Lest you think this is merely a matter of semantics, the answer to this question either imprisons or transforms a person. While it is common to identify oneself as essentially a body with a soul, the truth is the soul is one’s primary identity with the body serving as its external “garment”. This is significant when attempting to understand what drives emotions, particularly in relation to fellow human beings. 

This may be due to our understanding that we are ‘not the body’. As it is said, we are a soul with a body, not a body with a soul. We may think it more spiritual to nourish our soul and not worry about the body.  Actually, neglecting either body or soul is a mistake, for we are together for as long as we are in this body and we need to take care of both.

To get in touch with your soul, try the 1 minute meditation. GOOGLE. 1 minute meditation and take it from there. Try and do the exercise as often as you can throughout the day.